Sensational Comics 18
by D
Summary: The Avengers take over!


Sensational Comics 18

The Avengers Take Over!

Within hours of her escape, news of Jennifer Ross and the destructive ability of the She-Hulk had the country in a grip of terror. From SHIELD down to the lowliest of county sheriffs, the word had spread from on high not to engage. The Avengers had been contacted and the full might of the team were assembled on the Gamma Base.

"Captain America, I can't tell you how thrilled I am meet you." General Morris pumped the Living Legend's hand vigorously.

"The pleasure is mine, general, but we need to know some basics. We were briefed on the ride over, but we're going to need more to go on."

"Allow me," Dr. Banner entered the room with a thick stack of papers under his arm. "I've been studying the She-Hulk's biochemistry. I think I have the answer to all our problems."

"Then don't just stand there flapping your gums man!" General "Thunderbolt" Ross slammed his fist on the table. "Every second we waste…" He calmed when his daughter put her hand on his shoulder.

"What my father means, gentlemen, is that we would appreciate some concrete solutions to our present problem." Betty gestured to Banner to hurry up.

"Understood." Banner placed his papers on the table as an aide wheeled a telephone inside. "I've been in constant contact with Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four and I think we may have the answer to our problem." He attached a small speaker to the telephone. "Can you hear Dr. Richards?"

"Dr. Banner and I," the voice of the famed scientist sounded tired, "have devised of a way to cancel out the gamma radiation that is stored in the She-Hulk's body."

"You mean a cure?" Betty tried to keep the hope out of her voice.

"In theory, but we must get it to her within twenty-four hours. Has there been any luck finding her?" Banner turned his attention to Morris.

"We've had a dozen sightings, but so far nothing. If we mobilize we might start a panic."

"And if we do nothing we will." Iron Man entered the room. "Sorry about the lateness, but I was overseeing the arrival of some new equipment from Stark Labs."

"Something that can help us?" Ross eyed the red and gold clad Avenger with a wary eye.

"Mister Stark thinks so. Gamma trackers." He held up a small box. "Sort of like a Geiger counter, but capable of zeroing in and tracking one She-Hulk. We based the design on the device the Hulk was given during her mother's last rampage."

"Impressive!" Banner marveled at the device.

"I'll give Mister Stark the compliment, but what about what you and Dr. Richards are developing?" The armored avenger directed his attention to the speaker phone.

"It's not finished yet, but hopefully we can have it ready within six hours." Richards's voice warbled with the static.

"Sir!" an aide rushed into the room with a map. "We have a conformed sighting! The She-Hulk just touched down in Chicago!"

"Good Lord!" Morris took the map and spread it out over the table. "Ross, look at this, it appears as if she's heading towards New York."

"What? But why would she do that?"

-H

If the She-Hulk's wandering was a curiosity to the men and women of the Armed Forces, then it was a mystery to the woman herself. She found herself moving east, although for reasons she couldn't fathom. Her other side, if she knew, was more determined to get to New York, although she couldn't understand why.

-L

The Leader, on the other hand, knew. During her escape of the Gamma Base, he had ordered a small tracking device, not much bigger than a dust mote, to attach itself to the She-Hulk's ear. From there he was able to track her movements and in general direct her to where he wanted her to go.

"No doubt that fool Richards or Banner have devised a way to neutralize Mrs. Ross and I can't have that, not yet any rate. The She-Hulk must destroy Reed Richards before she can be of any use to me." The Leader sat back in his underground lair. "Of course there is also Dr. Banner to consider. The probability of him continuing the work or even improving on it is at least 79.4 percent. Then there is Dr. Doom as well, but I'll get to him later."

The Leader went back to his figures, spread out over the table. "When the time is right, I'll have my pieces assembled on the board."

-H

Betty stifled a yawn. She had been staring at the same map grids for several hours, tracking her mother's movements. The rest of the Avengers were at different parts of the base, each of them doing their best to find her. Iron Man was in a conference with Dr. Banner, Lady Thor was at another part of the base, testing Mjolnir against some new kind of steel, and the Wasp and Ant-Man were using their insect communicative abilities to help the search.

"I know everyone is doing the best they can, but it's not enough!" She stood up. She flung open the door to the office and stepped out into the early twilight of the desert. She slipped off her boots and stretched her legs. One quick change later, the Hulk stood silently as the lights of the base flooded the surrounding area with light.

Taking a portable radio with her, she slipped it into her pocket as she bounded over the fence in one jump. "I know where mom is going. I hope I'm wrong though."

-FF

As soon as the Hulk landed she radioed in to the base. "I think mom's going to New York." She detailed her plan. The Avengers wanted to go with her. "No, this would be better if it were just me. If she sees anyone else she might get violent."

The news didn't sit well with the Fantastic Four, however. She knew this when the famed Fantasi-Car swooped out of the sky and nearly broadsided her. "Of all the cockamamie ideas! Do you have any idea where that dame is headed?" The Thing never stopped complaining the moment he picked her up and flew the rest of the way to the Baxter Building.

They were greeted by the Invisible Woman. She looked worried. "Ben, can you talk to Reed? He hasn't come out of his lab in two days."

"Big brain probably forgot to sleep again." Grimm shook his head in annoyance.

The Hulk stepped forward. "Did he say anything about the cure he was working on?"

"Oh, yes, he finished that about fifteen minutes ago." Sue Storm pointed down the hall. "He said he wanted to check a few more figures before he finished the prototype."

The Hulk followed them inside. Already familiar with technological marvels thanks to spending time at Stark Industries, she was still taken back by the sheer volume of everything. Bizarre machines crackled with weird energy. Portals showed glimpses into worlds utterly alien in terrain. In the middle of it all was Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic.

The super stretchy scientist was sitting a desk covered in notes. A thick beard covered his face as he adjusted the controls on a strange machine. "What?" He absently looked around.

"Dr. Richards," Betty shifted back to normal, "did you find a way to cure my mother?"

"Oh, that." Richards turned back to his desk. Flattening out his hands, he shifted through the papers and assorted bits of junk that had accumulated throughout the course of the experiment. He retrieved a small capsule. "Make sure she takes immediately. The gamma absorber is only stable for another twenty hours, and then it will go totally inert."

"Great, any luck finding her?"

Sue Storm came back in the lab. "No such luck. We've been able to track her somewhat at night, but she seems to be keeping a low profile in the day."

The entire room shuddered. Lights flickered as fire alarms blared. "I see Johnny found something else to fiddle with…" Sue sighed as her younger brother rushed inside.

"It's the Hulk! I mean, the other one!"

"What?" Betty instantly changed back. "Ms. Storm, can you call the Gamma Base? I'll try to hold her off."

"Not without me you don't! I owe that dame some payback, and Aunt Petunia's favorite nephew never welshes!" Grimm cracked his knuckles.

The entire room shuddered. "Great, could you both do it before we end up on the ground floor?" Johnny braced himself in the door frame.

-FF

Opting out of the elevator, the Hulk and the Thing burst into the stairwell. The Hulk looked over the railing. "We're thirty-five floors up. Are you suggesting a foot race?" The shaking grew worse.

"Nope, we'll have to take the express way!" Grimm pushed forward, easily tearing the railing apart as he plunged over the side.

The Hulk shrugged her shoulders. Without missing a beat she followed suit. She missed what Grimm was shouting at her, but she noticed him pressing something on his belt buckle. The ground floor, which was rushing to meet them, suddenly erupted into a bright blue balloon.

They both hit hard enough to rattle the foundation. Emerging from the fluid filled sack, Grimm wiped his face off. "What do you know, stretch-o came through. You coming?" The Hulk sputtered in response as they charged into the lobby.

Betty inwardly cringed. Her mother, the She-Hulk, was standing in the lobby, endlessly pounding her mighty green fists against the floor. She stopped when they entered the lobby. "Where is he?"

"Who?" The Hulk put herself between the Thing and her mother.

"The one I have to destroy!" The She-Hulk snarled. Ripping up two chunks from the floor, she slammed them together. The resulting shock wave and dust knocked everyone back. By the time the Hulk cleared her eyes, her mother was gone.

The screams and crashing coming from outside gave her a good idea where she went.

-H

The She-Hulk flipped over a taxi cab as she stomped around. For some reason, she had an urge to destroy Reed Richards. The urge grew stronger the nearer she was to the Baxter Building. Every time she tried to stop and think why, a buzzing filled her mind.

She was still trying to decipher the reasons when the Human Torch dropped out of the sky. "It's time to end this!" He encircled her with a flaming ring.

"Kid, I couldn't agree more." Tearing a fire hydrant up, she popped the top with one hand and sent the massive amounts of pressurized water straight into the Torch's chest. The force of the blow put out his flame and sent him crashing into the street.

"Now get out of my way!" The She-Hulk slapped him aside and headed towards the rear of the Baxter Building.

-FF

"Kid, are you ok?" the Thing knelt over the prone form of the Human Torch.

"Fine, but that overgrown gargoyle got away." Johnny Storm cradled his arm.

"Storm, can you walk? Because the Thing and I are going to be needed." The Hulk looked at the Baxter Building, now shaking and swaying dangerously. "I need you to contact the Avengers and tell them to hurry." The windows on the upper floors exploded.

With one hand, as the other one lay limply at his side, the Human Torch sent up a fireball, incinerating most of the debris. He collapsed in the street as ash rained down. "I got it, just go!"

-H

The She-Hulk was stomping her way through downtown New York. She still had the compulsion to harm Richards, but it felt weaker for some reason. As she was puzzled by this, she was struck square in the back by a large flying hammer.

"Stand down monster. This is a fight even your strength can't win you." Lady Thor touched down in the street.

"You again?" The She-Hulk snarled as she slammed her fist into a nearby empty car. She compacted the metal around her hand, forging a crude glove.

"She brought help." Iron Man landed on the other side of the street.

"I've stared down entire tank divisions, kid-o, so if you're trying to intimidate someone, try it somewhere else."

The Hulk rounded the corner. "Wait!"

The She-Hulk smirked. "Well, this is a surprise. Come to drag me back to a cell?"

The Hulk cracked her knuckles. "Thought about it, but right now we're going to fight." She sized up her mother's stance as the Avengers cleared the streets. "I have to tire her out, can't think about anything else!" She brought her hands up to absorb a quick jab.

The blow knocked her back. The She-Hulk pressed her advantage. Two lightening quick body blows staggered the Hulk. A third, however, was stopped. The Hulk tried to make sense of the situation as the She-Hulk struggled against the empty air. "The Invisible Woman?"

"Thought I could lend a hand." Sue Storm narrowed her eyes. The She-Hulk's mouth silent opened and closed. "That was for my brother!"

The Hulk took over. While her mother gasped for air, the Hulk drove her foot into the She-Hulk's instep before slamming her elbow into the woman's ribs. The blow was enough to knock the older woman over but not enough to knock her out.

Sue Storm strained against the She-Hulk's thrashing. She lost her concentration as the She-Hulk slapped her mighty hands together. The shock wave exploded hard enough to shatter windows in every storefront. The car wrapped around her fist disintegrated, the remains flying about the street and covering everything a fine powdery metal and glass mixture. The Thing emerged from the smoke and rubble. "Now I've had just about all of this I'm going to take." He calmly put his cigar down on a rumbled piece of metal.

The She-Hulk wasted no time. She rushed him, battering his orange hide with dozens of blows. The Thing ducked some, absorbed others. Relying on years growing up on Yancy Street, he stepped back as she swung forward.

From there he jumped forward and wrapped both arms around her torso. A quick knee to the back of her leg brought her down. Slamming her head into the pavement, Grimm glanced around. "Hulk! Get over here!"

The Hulk changed. She gripped her mother's ankles and dragged her back into the street. The woman's thrashing increased. "We can't hold her forever!"

"You won't have to" Iron Man broadcasted over his loudspeaker as the rest of the Avengers arrived with the Human Torch.

"Cease this violence, 'tis pointless to cause further destruction!" Lady Thor unhooked Mjonlir from her belt.

The Hulk, torn between her teammates and her mother, tried to wave them away. "Wait, we can fix this, we just need more time!" Sadly one free leg was all the She-Hulk needed.

She extended her leg out, then swiftly brought it back, driving her heel into the Hulk's side. With the Hulk pushed back, she was able to bring her knees under her, throwing the Thing off balance. "Avengers, give them a hand!" Iron Man readied his repuslor rays as the She-Hulk forced the Thing off her back.

"Ok, which one of you wants to go first?" the She-Hulk glared. Lady Thor answered, mostly by smashing her hammer into the She-Hulk's face. The green behemoth staggered back as Iron Man unleashed his repuslor rays at full power.

"Iron Man, I have the cure!" The Hulk limped over to the Avengers, her hand pressed tight against her side. "We just have to get her to take this pill and that should cure her."

"I think that's easier said than done." Iron Man increased his power as the She-Hulk slowly moved forward.

"Enough!" Lady Thor began to spin her hammer. "I call upon the storms, give me your full might!"

The skies darkened. Blackness fell over the street like a blanket. The air began to smell of ozone. The She-Hulk, still being battered by the power in Iron Man's suit, looked up as lightning bolts streaked towards her.

The street was lit up to near blinding levels as the She-Hulk raged against the assault. The street under her feet melted from the heat, causing her to sink. "Enough!" Lady Thor tapped Mjonlir upon the ground. The storms ended at once. "Do you yield?"

"Go to hell!" the She-Hulk tore her way from the street and leapt away.

"She's heading for the docks!" Iron Man calculated her trajectory.

"We've got to hurry!" The Hulk glanced at the Avengers. "Let me try one more time." She jumped after her mother before the team could speak.

-H

The sight of the massive green amazon crash landing in the port of the busiest city in the world was enough to rouse the people to a panic, but the addition of a gray skinned amazon was the tipping point. The She-Hulk stood in the center of the crater and glared at the Hulk. "So, it looks like I'm going to beat some sense into you." The She-Hulk raised her fists.

The Hulk parted her feet. She swore inwardly when the sun began to set. Her mother gasped and doubled over. "Not now!"

Slipping Richards' cure into her hand, she rushed over to her mother as gray blotches began to appear on her green skin.

"Stay away!" The She-Hulk gasped. She drew back her fist and slapped the cure from Betty's hand.

"No! You fool, I'm trying to help!" The Hulk scrambled after the capsule as it rolled towards the water.

"I don't need anyone's help!" The now fully gray She-Hulk stood up. Betty fumbled for the pill as her mother picked up a shipping container. "And if I have to beat that into your thick skull, I will."

-L

The Leader watched the events unfold with interest. "I could use the daughter, but now the mother is in the perfect state of mind to assist me. She'll have to destroy the cure first, of course, but after that I think a reintroduction would be in order." He left his lab and headed towards the hanger. "With the proper speed, I should arrive in New York five seconds after the fight is over."

-H

The Hulk barely wrapped her fingers around the pill before the container slammed into her. The force knocked her back into the water. Gasping for breath, she broke the surface just as the container slammed down again.

Tearing through the metal, she kicked her way to the surface again just in time to see her mother lumber over to the nearest dock. "Ok, you want the heavy stuff? Fine!" She slammed her fists into the concrete. Betty stared as the She-Hulk began to lift the impossibly heavy concrete slab up from the water.

While her mother's back was turned, Betty rushed forward and leapt onto her back. Wrapping one arm around her mother's throat, she pulled her head back and shoved the capsule in her mouth. The immediate effect was her being thrown off and her mother leaping away again.

"This is getting repetitive!" Betty followed suit as her mother landed on the deck of a nearby ship.

"What did you do to me?" the She-Hulk blinked. Her vision swam as she staggered backwards.

"I'm trying to help you!" the Hulk held her hands up. "Listen to me, if the rest of the Avengers show up, you'll end up fighting them. Just stop and listen to me for a minute!"

"No! I'm tired of being lied to, being locked up! You're just trying to trick me like all the rest!" The She-Hulk put her hand to her head, unaware of its shrinking. As the She-Hulk tried to escape again, she collapsed to the deck. Muscles shrank and skin paled as Jennifer Ross slowly sat up. "Betty? What happened?"

Before the Hulk could grab her mother, the ship suddenly pitched sideways. Explosions filled the air as the metal below the waterline erupted into fire. The Hulk scrambled for her mother as they both fell over the side into the burning sea.

"Mom!" The Hulk thrashed in the water as she tried to see where her mother landed. The ship continued to tip, sending dozens of sailors over the side. Still looking for her mother, she swam to the men and helped them to the docks, albeit mostly be throwing them into what looked like the softest looking boxes.

-L

As the Hulk thrashed and dived under the flames, the Leader sat back in his captain's chair. Once Jennifer Ross had hit the water, it was simple enough to drag her under before the flames could do any permanent damage. She rested in a specially designed tube, feeding her oxygen and enough knockout gas to make sure she stayed asleep for as long as he needed.

"Hmm, Richards's cure might actually work, although I predicted only a 72% chance of it keeping. I might have to undo it, although that might not be necessary with the right stimulation." He glanced at the monitor showing the Hulk's frantic search. "I hated to hurt you like this Mrs. Ross, but the world will soon need both Hulks." His fantastic sub sank deeper into the depths and slipped away, unseen by all.

-H

The Hulk had said nothing for the last hour. The rest of the Avengers had arrived and helped with the clean-up. Questions were asked and answers given, although no one was terribly satisfied with either side.

"Hulk…I'm sorry." Captain America put a hand on her shoulder.

Her eyes flashed angrily for a second, but she shrugged him off. "This isn't the first time. I'll find her again." She walked away from the team, slowly changing back to normal as she slipped away into the crowd.

"Shouldn't we go after her?" Iron Man landed after helping the fire department put out the fires in the water.

"Nay, I've known such moods. Best to let her soothe in solitude. When she is ready to rejoin us, she will." Lady Thor hooked Mjonlir to her belt after calling off the winds that picked up the burning fuel.

"I hope you're right." Iron Man watched as Betty Ross slipped around the corner. "I hope you're right."

The end

Based on "The Avengers Take Over!" first published in Fantastic Four I#26 (May 1964) with credits to Stan Lee (script), Jack Kirby (pencils), George Bell, AKA George Roussos (inks), and Artie Simek (letters)

Be here next time! The She-Hulk! Spider-Man! And the ever loving Green Goblin!

Sensational Lore

They call me Bruce

_Great work as always!_

From Wolvmbm

_Nice update and interesting alternative take on Fantastic Four#25 comic, as I didn't expect anything like that to happen in this story. Something tells me the Leader is doing everything he can to make this family reunion of the Ross family a painful one. Man, that Leader is a dirty villain of a genius. Still, I can't wait to see how the Avengers get involved in the fight, especially at the request of the Hulk herself. I must also compliment you on how you did the She-Hulk VS Thing fight, as it was some battle, and if they weren't on opposite sides they might have made a pretty good team. Please do keep up the good work upon such a great storyline like this one as I cannot wait to see what happens next in this series of yours. _

Sorry for the wait, but I hope the wait was worth it.

Be here next time for the following.

Journey into Mystery#19-the Return of Zarko, the Tomorrow Man!

Tales to Astonish#17-the Wasp VS the Human Top!

The Avengers#6-Invasion of the Lava Men!

Amazing Fantasy#10-Roller Disco Smash!


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